No one likes a liar right but in some circumstances maybe it’s best…at least for my self-esteem.

Let me set the stage:

You and I are talking about our respective businesses. I’m asking you questions and you’re providing me with all the information that I need and I’m glad…really. You see I think that a good networking relationship requires trust and information and so I feel that I am gathering both in our conversation.

We draw to the end; you’ve told me, well, all about you and it seems that you’re about to conclude the call. Could it be? Say it isn’t so. You couldn’t be ending now before I’ve even had an opportunity to tell you about me. But yes, that seems to be what’s happening.

And so I try, ever so gently to reopen our conversation and ask, “Would you like to know a bit about my business” and you say quite pointedly, “NO, I know what you do.”

Really. You can’t make this stuff up…nor would you want to.

It takes my breathe away and so I ended the call and ever so carefully deleted said person from my database.

No need, no time and life’s too short to bother with a “networker” like that. (But hey, they didn’t LIE. They weren’t interested and didn’t try to pretend that they were!)